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Islands of good governance

It isn’t just “more fun” in the Philippines, it is more responsible, too, particularly where governance is concerned. Thus, in this country, you can find islands of good tourism and adventure, as well as islands of good governance.

 

 

Philippine Heart Center executive director Dr. Manuel Chua-Chiaco Jr.; ISA chairman Dr. Francisco Duque III; ISA president Francisco Eizmendi Jr.; AFP Deputy Chief LtGen Edgar Fallorina; Navy Rear Admiral Leopoldo Alano; DTI Undersecretary Nora Terrado; ISA chairman emeritus Dr. Jesus P. Estanislao; Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes; Army MGen Demosthenes Santillan; BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr.; Claremont  University professor Dr. Robert Klitgaard; NEA Administrator Edita Bueno; Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr.; Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario; Dipolog City Mayor Evelyn Uy; Balanga City Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III;  and Talisay City Mayor Eric Saratan

Last October 20 and 21, the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), a public governance reform advocacy group founded by Dr. Jesus “Jess” Estanislao, held a Public Governance Forum together with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and the National Competitiveness Council Philippines at the Philippine International Convention Center. During this Forum, 12 public sector institutions were named the very first Philippine “Islands of Good Governance” to acknowledge the reforms that they have undertaken through transformative and sustainable good governance programs.

ISA chairman Dr. Francisco Duque III
This columnist acted as master of ceremonies 

The awardees from the national government agencies were the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Army (PA), the Philippine Navy (PN), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Electrification Administration (NEA), the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). For the local governments, the awardees were the city governments of Balanga, Bataan; Butuan, Agusan Del Norte; Dipolog, Zamboanga Del Norte; and Talisay, Negros Occidental.

ISA chairman Dr. Francisco Duque III; DTI Undersecretary Nora Terrado; DTI director Mary Jean Pacheco; Claremont University’s Dr. Robert Klitgaard; DFA Undersecretary Laura del Rosario
Navy Captain Armil Angeles and Navy Rear Admiral Leopoldo Alano

Truly these awardees, through their progress reporting in this bi-annual forum, have shown the real initiative needed towards genuine reform where governance is concerned.

Col. Adriano Perez Jr., Brigadier General Benjamin Madrigal, Major General Demosthenes Santillan and Dr. Robert Klitgaard 
BSP director Helen Montalbo, BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr., ICD chairman Francis Estrada, BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr.; Claremont University’s Dr. Robert Klitgaard and DFA Undersecretary Laura del Rosario

Dr. Estanislao, who also heads the ICD, had served under the administration of the late President Corazon C. Aquino as Finance Secretary, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary and Director-General of the National Economic Development Authority. His current thrust towards building not just good public governance but also corporate governance is nothing less than heroic, to say the least. Dr. Jess also sits as the Chairman of the National Police Commission Advisory Council on Transformation where I am also a board member.

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